When Chris Amon leaves his house to walk his dog Chase, he makes certain that plastic bags are visible and hanging out of his pocket. He wants people to know he cleans up after Chase does his business.

Despite his precautions, Amon, who lives on Port Deposit's South Main Street, is often confronted by people who assume he doesn't pick up his dog's feces. "I make sure I clean it up. But there's another guy who doesn't. He has the same kind of dog, so people think it was me. I moved here in September (2017) and people scream at me to pick it up. I walk him, he's a chocolate lab and pit mix, three times a day. Sometimes I feel stalked," said Amon, who said he's considering moving out of the town due to the dog poop dilemma. "It's a problem," said Mayor Wayne Tome, Sr. "We're trying to get people to comply. The biggest problem is for the maintenance guys. It's not pleasant for them and it stinks. That's the same everywhere. People are stepping in it. And the dog walkers are getting the wrath from that," said Tome. Port Deposit's part time Code and Zoning Administrator Susan Smith released a memo on June 5 asking people to please clean up after their pets. "Our families are made up of people as well as our pets. In fact, if you don't watch your step, you're liable to step in one such reminder!" She went on to write that complaints have come in regarding people not cleaning up after their pets. Specifically at public parking lot 5 and the tot playground on North Main Street. "When walking your dog in our community, remember that it must be leashed. Also it is important to please remember to immediately clean up after your pet. Take along a baggie with you to pick up waste and then dispose of it properly," wrote Smith. There are dog waste disposal areas located in town. "I haven't cited anybody but it is a $50 fine. I've stopped people walking their dogs and they say they clean it up. I will start citing people in response to complaints and people do complain," said Smith. "But a ticket is a last resort. I don't want to be mean. I've had dogs, cats, rabbits, and goats." She also said that surveillance cameras will be installed in various places in the town and that will help with enforcement. Mayor Tome said the dog owners aren't the only ones to blame. "Down at the park and at the marina, it's goose poop. Some of that is as big as a small dog," said the mayor. He also said that people need to clean up the remains of any food consumed, because when birds eat people's leavings, that compounds the poop problem. Amon said people are concerned about dog poop. He said his concern is the amount of trash left by visitors to the town on weekends. "There's so much trash left here, parking lot litter, and people are worried about dog poop," Amon said.